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Epidemiology of Inhalant Abuse: An Update

NCJ Number
115908
Editor(s)
R A Crider, B A Rouse
Date Published
1988
Length
208 pages
Annotation
Ten articles examine the problem of inhalant abuse (volatile solvents, aerosols, anesthetics, and amyl and butyl nitrite), identify populations at risk, and discuss approaches to prevention and intervention.
Abstract
Following an international and theoretical overview of the problem, five articles examine inhalant abuse among special populations: children under 12 years old, American Indian youth, adolescents in a small Southwest Hispanic community, secondary school students in New York State, and adult inner-city inhalant abusers in Philadelphia. Studies from Canada and Mexico are presented for comparison with United States data. This series of articles discusses lifetime prevalence, factors underlying inhalant use, the relationship of inhalant use to prior and subsequent use of other drugs, and factors associated with use. Overall, they indicate that inhalant use tends to start at a young age, sometimes preceding use of alcohol and tobacco. Research also suggests that youth who begin with inhalant use are more likely to continue to serious levels of drug involvement than those whose first drug is marijuana. From a geographic perspective, the highest prevalence is found in relatively isolated communities. Despite geographic differences in prevalence, there are similarities in time-series trends among the three countries that document steady increases in inhalant use at a time when use of other drugs has declined among youth. Finally, social and psychological factors associated with inhalant use are examined, including age, gender, ethnicity, deviance, social and school adjustment, community, and family and peer influences. Chapter tables and references. (See NCJ-115909 and NCJ-115910 for individual articles).